No criminal charges in dog mauling death of 14-year-old boy

DIGHTON, Mass. – Authorities have concluded their investigation into the dog mauling death of a 14-year-old Massachusetts boy without bringing criminal charges.

The Bristol district attorney’s office said in a statement Friday that the death of Ryan Hazel, of Rehoboth, on May 9 was “sadly a terrible tragedy.”

Ryan was killed by five dogs he regularly cared for on the property of a dog trainer in Dighton.

The office says the cause of the attack is not known and likely never will be known.

Officials say “no evidence points to Ryan’s actions or conduct contributing at all” to his death.

The four Belgian Malinois and a Dutch shepherd were all subsequently euthanized on May 23.

The dogs’ owner co-operated with investigators. The dogs were not properly licensed but were vaccinated.